If a plurality of semiconductor components are integrated in a semiconductor body, then it should be ensured that these components are sufficiently insulated from one another such that no mutual disturbances occur. One possibility for insulating the components from one another consists in providing, within the semiconductor body, pn junctions between those semiconductor regions in which the individual components are integrated, which are reverse-biased during normal operation of the individual components.
The semiconductor body comprises for example, a semiconductor layer, for example, a semiconductor substrate, of a first conduction type and a second semiconductor layer arranged on said semiconductor layer and having component zones of a second conduction type. In this case, pn junctions are formed between said component zones of the second conduction type and the first semiconductor layer and are biased during normal operation in such a way that no charge carriers are injected into the first semiconductor layer which might propagate there and disturb the function of other components. For the case where such charge carriers are, nevertheless, injected into the first semiconductor layer, there is a need for suitable measures which prevent adverse effects of said charge carriers.